Winner leaves Korea for ‘Youth Over Flowers’

Updated : October 11 2017

(YG Entertainment)

The four members of boy band Winner were kidnapped Wednesday for star producer Na Young-seok’s tvN show “Youth Over Flowers.”

“Winner’s episode of ‘Youth Over Flowers’ will be produced in earnest. They will leave today and film at the location. But we decided not to disclose the destination due to safety issues,” the production team said.

The boy band will come back to Korea this month and the show will air by the end of the year, the production team added.

The producer’s other show “New Journey to the West,” which starred Winner member Song Min-ho, promised its cast that if they succeed in fulfilling a specific task, the production team will grant a wish for each of them.

The cast succeeded in the challenge and Song wished to go on a trip on “Youth Over Flowers” with his bandmates.

“Kidnapping” celebrities has been a ritual for those in their 20s appearing on “Youth Over Flowers.” The cast get snatched by the production staff and sent on a trip without preparation.

Since Winner members knew that they will get “kidnapped” sometime for the travel show, they stayed fully-equipped so that they can go with a minute’s warning. The show’s production staff said in media interviews, “We’re troubled as it was all disposed that the members would go on a trip while ‘Youth Over Flowers’ need its cast not to know that.”

The members, however, were spotted at Incheon International Airport Wednesday dressed in black and white striped prison suits holding only their passports. Their faces looked devastated as if they could not predict the production team’s plan.